Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (Sept)

This month, we remember the special children we had the joy and privilege of caring for at Emily’s House, who brought so much light into the world around them.

A memory of Jack and the words of his sister, Piper:

“When I think about Jack, cancer is never the first thing that comes to mind.

I think about his laugh, the kind that could fill an entire room. I think about how competitive he was and how he could somehow turn absolutely anything into a game. Hockey, golf, fishing, roller coasters, throwing a football around…. If there was a way to make something fun, Jack found it.

He had the biggest heart, the most special smile, and somehow the soul of an old man while still being one of the funniest kids you could ever meet. He cared deeply about other people and found so much happiness in the simplest things.

Even when cancer started taking away so many of the things he loved, it never got to take away who Jack was.

Some of my favourite memories came during some of the hardest days. Playing football through the halls at Emily’s House. Watching hockey and making bets. Music at night. Celebrating his 16th birthday surrounded by people who loved him. Even there, Jack was still Jack.

He was so much more than a kid with cancer. He was a brother, a son, a teammate, a friend, an athlete, a wicked food critic, a fishing legend, and someone who made life feel a little bigger just by being in it.

Jack taught me more about courage, kindness, and appreciating life than I could ever put into words. So, this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I’m sharing Jack, not just because of what he went through, but because of who he was.

And because he deserves to be remembered for the incredible life, he lived, not just the disease that took him from us.

We miss you always JJ, and you’re forever in our hearts. “

Jack, you are forever loved, missed and remembered.

#childhoodcancer; #emilyshouse; #childrenshospice; #pediatricpalliativecare; #palliativecare; #hospice; #hospicecare; #hospiceontario; #volunteering; #volunteertoronto